Social Justice Topics

Backgrounder w/ Activities: Biblical Foundations of Justice

The call to be people of justice is part of God's ongoing revelation in scripture. This background resource with activities is designed to lay the groundwork for understanding the biblical...
Read more

Unit: Perspectives on the Death Penalty

This is a guide for high school and religious education teachers to take a deeper look at capital punishment and the Church's teachings. It includes: five lessons, interactive activities,...
Read more
Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan: Blood Diamond

The movie Blood Diamond has helped to spark awareness about conflict diamonds: diamonds that are often harvested illegally and used to fund ongoing conflicts in places like Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra...
Read more

Mental Illness and Church Statements

The U.S. has a higher prevalence of mental illness than some other parts of the world. One reason may be because there is no federal law in the U.S. guaranteeing that mental illness will be treated...
Read more

Fact Sheet: Poverty in the U.S. (2007)

37 million, or 12.6 percent of people in the U.S.. live below the poverty line. This resource includes updated facts about poverty in America, and is perfect for a bulletin insert on the issue.

Bulletin Insert: Iraqi Refugees: A "Red Light of Alarm"

Refugees are leaving Iraq at a rate of 3,000 a day, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This two-pager (perfect for a bulletin insert!) details the plight of Iraqi...
Read more

Signs of the Times: The US Catholic Bishops' Pastoral letter on the Economy. An Unfinished Agenda?

Twenty years ago this month the U.S. Catholic bishops adopted their pastoral letter on the U.S. economy, which they called Economic Justice for All. In their foreword they wrote that they were...
Read more

Themes of CST: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

This resource provides an overview of the social teaching on the Option for the Poor and Vulnerable, one of the basic tenets of CST. This six-page resource can be used to gain background knowlege or...
Read more

Option for the Poor - an Introduction

This introductory piece is in popular language and discusses the option for the poor and liberation theology as related to poverty in the U.S.

The Preferential Option for the Poor: History and Overview

This 3-page reflection, from the book, Opting for the Poor: The Challenge for the Twenty-First Century, by Peter J. Henriot, S.J., describes: The five stages of the historical development of the...
Read more
Lesson Plan

The Christmas Season and Consumerism

During Advent, we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. However, consumerism can also compete for our attention and keep us from experiencing Advent and Christmas as truly spirit-filled times....
Read more
Lesson Plan

A Journey Towards Unity: Hagia Sophia in Turkey

This resource explores Pope Benedict's 2006 trip to Turkey and provides several engaging activities to explore the topic of Christian unity and inter-religious dialogue. The places the Pope visited...
Read more